I always thought NB and HT were the same things. After Ryder's clarification (Thank you!!!), I noticed that I was actually changing the NB speed and HT was linked to it with its Auto setting in BIOS. Now 2400 NB (and also 2400 HT) are stable after increasing the CPU-NB voltage to 1.2v. ASUS M4A77D was setting the CPU-NB voltage at vcore-0.3v by default (i.e 1.375-0.3=1.075). 1.2v was sufficient to stabilize 2400NB/HT speed. Now, I will try to overclock RAM from DDR2-800 to DDR2-960, who knows. Ryder, thanks again.
RAM overclocked to DDR2-960 after bumping the RAM voltage to 2.1 (ASUS M4A77D default voltage was 1.95) . This is the cheapest GSkill DDR2-800 without heatsinks. I checked RAM temperature they were not even hot to touch while running IntelBurn Test with largest possible memory allocation. By increasing NB to 2400 and overcloking RAM to 960, Linpack performance increased 5% (~45.3 -> ~47.5 GFlops) which is, IMHO, very good without increasing the CPU clock. I will take it
Hey mirage. I got the same mobo and cpu combo.. But Im having some problems. I got the cores to unlock but i looked at your cpuz and compared it to mine. They are very different. How do you take a screen shot ?
Well i been following your steps. My cpuz drops my multiplier to x4 and core speed down to 800mhz with .9 volts. Cpuz does start off at x15 3000mhz and 1.3v. do you know what im doing wrong? my HT link is 2000 and bus speed at 200. Im thinking maybe the autos in the bios are messing with it.
lol im a noob. i guess amd does that to save power? when i load a program it jumps back up.
You can turn off the feature call "Cool n Quit" in the processor section of the BIOS (don't remember the exact name of the menu), and that will stop that from occurring. Useful if you are looking for stable overclocks, but if you are not, then leaving it on is okay and does save some power.
You can turn off the feature call "Cool n Quit" in the processor section of the BIOS (don't remember the exact name of the menu), and that will stop that from occurring. Useful if you are looking for stable overclocks, but if you are not, then leaving it on is okay and does save some power.
I have found as a general rule it is best to always disable Q & C as it can play havoc with most OCs.
Hey mirage. I got the same mobo and cpu combo.. But Im having some problems. I got the cores to unlock but i looked at your cpuz and compared it to mine. They are very different. How do you take a screen shot ?
TF, on the upper row of keys on the KB, usually located to the right is the "Print Screen" key. I usually hit it a couple of times after I have everything I want to show on the screen. Then go into "Paint" and hit edit, then save to a file. (be sure to change it to a .jpeg to save size).
What you may also want to do is start your own thread here so you can get responses that don't get confused with mirage's stuff.
Hey mirage. I got the same mobo and cpu combo.. But Im having some problems. I got the cores to unlock but i looked at your cpuz and compared it to mine. They are very different. How do you take a screen shot ?
Control-PrtScn, and then Ctrl-V in Paint (Paint.Net). If you have Windows 7 you can use the screen capture tool as well.
Well i been following your steps. My cpuz drops my multiplier to x4 and core speed down to 800mhz with .9 volts. Cpuz does start off at x15 3000mhz and 1.3v. do you know what im doing wrong? my HT link is 2000 and bus speed at 200. Im thinking maybe the autos in the bios are messing with it.
That is not an indication that something is wrong. As others pointed out, this is Cool and Quiet, i.e. your processor is reducing the clock frequency by lowering the multiplier and lowering the voltage when the cpu is idle.
However, I did not disable C&Q. I like it since it saves energy and reduces the strain on the processor when it is idle. But it is also true that overclocking while C&Q on is more difficult. I also recommend disabling C&Q, at least initially, while testing the stability of your overclock. After you are sure that your overclock is stable, you can turn C&Q on. After this, random blue screens could appear. This means that the voltage adjustments (done by BIOS) at intermediate frequencies are unstable. By trial and error, you need to increase the vcore gradually to solve this problem. I had to increase vcore only one step further after enabling C&Q and there has not been any BSODs since one week. The obvious disadvantage is that since you need to use a little higher vcore to stabilize with C&Q, your overclock will be a little lower. I prefer to have C&Q and a little lower overclock. It is your decision.
Wow thanks guys for explaining that. Totally forgot about that print screen.
Can you post your final bios settings? I would like to use it as a guide so i don't go to far. I really want to hit 3.6Ghz at lease. I been using PC probe2 to monitor the cpu temp. It hasnt been over 55c yet so i still have space to push it right?
Thanks again.
Wow thanks guys for explaining that. Totally forgot about that print screen.
Can you post your final bios settings? I would like to use it as a guide so i don't go to far. I really want to hit 3.6Ghz at lease. I been using PC probe2 to monitor the cpu temp. It hasnt been over 55c yet so i still have space to push it right?
Thanks again.
Sure, I will post my BIOS settings tonight when I go home. I think 55C is getting close to 60C which I consider the upper limit of healthy AMD CPU temperature. What cooler are you using?
PS: By the way, I have given most (maybe all) of the important BIOS settings above. But I will put them together in a single post. However, take those numbers as a guide and do not assume that those settings will give the same results with your processor. Each processor overclocks differently.
Recently because its been a little cold in my house and because I have just ramped my CPU cooler to just run all out since its not that loud (audible, but not annoying, high pitch kind of audible) and because I scrapped geek convention and did not bother to evenly spread the AS5, (I just put a dab in the middle, press base, twist, twist, done) I have been overclocking better then ever on my 965, and I have the less efficient 140W model mind you. I'm hitting 3.9 at 1.465 volts and running stable and only loading at core temps in the mid 40's after a couple hours of torture testing. Its been nice.
I have this Cooler Master Hyper N520 and I swear it has to be the least pleasant cooler to install, and its inconsistent, my results before reinstalling the cooler were nowhere near that probably because I did not torque the nuts properly, or perhaps my AS5 application was a little off, but once that thing is on your not dieing to go back in there to mess with it. I was going to buy a new cooler, but decided to just try and be happy with what I had, and for now I'm pretty thrilled. (by the way, despite the result, I would not recommend this cooler, its a pain in the ass to install)
I also use the thermal paste the same way, i.e. press, twist, twist. But I haveTuniq TX2 not AS5 which spreads a little easier. Works fine for me. 3.9 GHz is very good. And, if that CM cooler is handling 1.465V @ 3.9 GHz, it should be a pretty good cooler. If I get a better cooler, I will also try increasing the voltage above the current 1.375v. I see good reviews about CM Hyper 212 Plus which is cheaper than what you have. Or I might buy a Cogage True Sprit. Unfortunately most of the good coolers require removing the default AMD bracket and back plate, even the old Thermaltake Big Typhoon I used. It is not easy to rotate the direction of cooler with the AMD bracket.
Prime said he was using a Scythe Ninja that did not require him to remove the standard AM3 installation bracket. I paid high consideration to that model, then let my bank account win and decided to suffer through the installation woes of the CM Hyper N520. At least my performance has improved with the reinstall. Thats CM cooler is a strange item. If you look around at the reviews online, some love it, some hate it, some say its kinda sorta okay, my best guess is that the installation routine forces variation in the results.
One of this days I'm going to buck up and do real water cooling.
The heatsink im using is this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185096
I been using pc probe2 to monitor the cpu temps. Im wondering since i unlock the 4 cores does it still have the correct temp?
also using ddr3 gkill 1600 999 24, 5770 ati, and 75 raptor hd.
I play alot of pc games too so i can really see when the cpu and video card heat up.
Here are the Bios settings
CPU/HT Reference Clock: 240
PCIE Clock: 100
CPU/NB Frequency: x10.0 2000 MHz
CPU Over Voltage: 1.375
VDDNB Over Voltage: 1.2
Loadine Calibration: 0%
Memclock Value: 400 MHz
Memory Overvoltage: 2.1
If you have DDR3, your motherboard should be different. M4A77D only supports DDR2. Yours could be M4A77TD. So do not pay attention to the memory settings in the last two lines. I use Speedfan not PCprobe but both of them are probably reading the CPU temperature from the motherboard sensor as BIOS shows. I think it should be accurate.
Awesome that helps a lot. So far i been on the right track no bsod. Oh ya you are right about the motherboards. right now I am slowly pushing the FSB to get high than 3.0ghz.
So all i have to worry about is FSB and the voltage on the cpu? and watch the temp so they dont pass 60c?
Also i see you have it set to x10. mine is at x15. Is it better to have it lower to overclock?
Awesome that helps a lot. So far i been on the right track no bsod. Oh ya you are right about the motherboards. right now I am slowly pushing the FSB to get high than 3.0ghz.
So all i have to worry about is FSB and the voltage on the cpu? and watch the temp so they dont pass 60c?
Also i see you have it set to x10. mine is at x15. Is it better to have it lower to overclock?
10X is for the NB frequency, not the CPU frequency. I have the CPU multiplier at 15x default value too. It is better to start with lower NB and HT frequencies. After you stabilize the CPU frequency, you can increase the NB frequency. I have done this way, if you check the earlier posts here. See Ryder's comments and links in the previous page.
Well right now im at 220 fsb and running smooth 40c on load. Im at 1.312Volts. But it jumps down to 1.296 sometimes. When it jumps around like that, does that mean the power supply is bad or is it normal?
And How should i know when to bump up the volts?
Fsb and volts is all im doing here.. Should i worry about HT? or anything else?
1.312-1.296 fluctuation is only 1.2%. Such voltage fluctuations are normal.
Test your stability by running IntelBurn Test. It is very effective and quick. You can see how I run it in my posts. Usually 5 cycles and 1M memory allocation gives reliable results for CPU stability. And, it also gives you a direct benchmark result to assess your performance improvement. It will tell you if you are stable. If you are stable increase the overclock slightly. If you are not stable increase vcore slightly. Then, retest. While doing this monitor your CPU temperature and also check CPU-Z to make sure RAM/HT/NB frequencies do not go out of spec (by reducing their multipliers). Repeat this cycle until the temperature reaches close to 60C or vcore reaches the safe voltage limit which is around 1.425v for Phenom II 545. I saw people who are running the processor at 1.5v. I would not do it with my processor and cooler.
After you settle with the maximum CPU overclock, you can work on overclocking the RAM/NB frequencies.
Windows wont boot if i go up to fsb 230. Im stuck at 225.
I try increasing the volts to 1.360 and still no load. I got blue screen at 225, but i just turned down the ram and HT settings and now its fine.
Should i go higher volts to get 230? The temps with 225 never go over 45c and tested it intelburn.
[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Nick/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png[/IMG]
Comments
1.3ish on good air cooling
1.2ish on Stock air
1.4 on water or better.
Thanks. I will not try 1.4 for sure.
You can turn off the feature call "Cool n Quit" in the processor section of the BIOS (don't remember the exact name of the menu), and that will stop that from occurring. Useful if you are looking for stable overclocks, but if you are not, then leaving it on is okay and does save some power.
I have found as a general rule it is best to always disable Q & C as it can play havoc with most OCs.
Cool and Quiet does a combination of things, it throttles your CPU and dynamicly controls the CPU fan through PWM.
Its not over-clocker friendly, turn it off.
TF, on the upper row of keys on the KB, usually located to the right is the "Print Screen" key. I usually hit it a couple of times after I have everything I want to show on the screen. Then go into "Paint" and hit edit, then save to a file. (be sure to change it to a .jpeg to save size).
What you may also want to do is start your own thread here so you can get responses that don't get confused with mirage's stuff.
Control-PrtScn, and then Ctrl-V in Paint (Paint.Net). If you have Windows 7 you can use the screen capture tool as well.
That is not an indication that something is wrong. As others pointed out, this is Cool and Quiet, i.e. your processor is reducing the clock frequency by lowering the multiplier and lowering the voltage when the cpu is idle.
However, I did not disable C&Q. I like it since it saves energy and reduces the strain on the processor when it is idle. But it is also true that overclocking while C&Q on is more difficult. I also recommend disabling C&Q, at least initially, while testing the stability of your overclock. After you are sure that your overclock is stable, you can turn C&Q on. After this, random blue screens could appear. This means that the voltage adjustments (done by BIOS) at intermediate frequencies are unstable. By trial and error, you need to increase the vcore gradually to solve this problem. I had to increase vcore only one step further after enabling C&Q and there has not been any BSODs since one week. The obvious disadvantage is that since you need to use a little higher vcore to stabilize with C&Q, your overclock will be a little lower. I prefer to have C&Q and a little lower overclock. It is your decision.
Can you post your final bios settings? I would like to use it as a guide so i don't go to far. I really want to hit 3.6Ghz at lease. I been using PC probe2 to monitor the cpu temp. It hasnt been over 55c yet so i still have space to push it right?
Thanks again.
Sure, I will post my BIOS settings tonight when I go home. I think 55C is getting close to 60C which I consider the upper limit of healthy AMD CPU temperature. What cooler are you using?
PS: By the way, I have given most (maybe all) of the important BIOS settings above. But I will put them together in a single post. However, take those numbers as a guide and do not assume that those settings will give the same results with your processor. Each processor overclocks differently.
I have this Cooler Master Hyper N520 and I swear it has to be the least pleasant cooler to install, and its inconsistent, my results before reinstalling the cooler were nowhere near that probably because I did not torque the nuts properly, or perhaps my AS5 application was a little off, but once that thing is on your not dieing to go back in there to mess with it. I was going to buy a new cooler, but decided to just try and be happy with what I had, and for now I'm pretty thrilled. (by the way, despite the result, I would not recommend this cooler, its a pain in the ass to install)
One of this days I'm going to buck up and do real water cooling.
Water cooling is something I could never justify its price. I might try something simple like Corsair H50.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185096
I been using pc probe2 to monitor the cpu temps. Im wondering since i unlock the 4 cores does it still have the correct temp?
also using ddr3 gkill 1600 999 24, 5770 ati, and 75 raptor hd.
I play alot of pc games too so i can really see when the cpu and video card heat up.
CPU/HT Reference Clock: 240
PCIE Clock: 100
CPU/NB Frequency: x10.0 2000 MHz
CPU Over Voltage: 1.375
VDDNB Over Voltage: 1.2
Loadine Calibration: 0%
Memclock Value: 400 MHz
Memory Overvoltage: 2.1
If you have DDR3, your motherboard should be different. M4A77D only supports DDR2. Yours could be M4A77TD. So do not pay attention to the memory settings in the last two lines. I use Speedfan not PCprobe but both of them are probably reading the CPU temperature from the motherboard sensor as BIOS shows. I think it should be accurate.
So all i have to worry about is FSB and the voltage on the cpu? and watch the temp so they dont pass 60c?
Also i see you have it set to x10. mine is at x15. Is it better to have it lower to overclock?
10X is for the NB frequency, not the CPU frequency. I have the CPU multiplier at 15x default value too. It is better to start with lower NB and HT frequencies. After you stabilize the CPU frequency, you can increase the NB frequency. I have done this way, if you check the earlier posts here. See Ryder's comments and links in the previous page.
And How should i know when to bump up the volts?
Fsb and volts is all im doing here.. Should i worry about HT? or anything else?
Test your stability by running IntelBurn Test. It is very effective and quick. You can see how I run it in my posts. Usually 5 cycles and 1M memory allocation gives reliable results for CPU stability. And, it also gives you a direct benchmark result to assess your performance improvement. It will tell you if you are stable. If you are stable increase the overclock slightly. If you are not stable increase vcore slightly. Then, retest. While doing this monitor your CPU temperature and also check CPU-Z to make sure RAM/HT/NB frequencies do not go out of spec (by reducing their multipliers). Repeat this cycle until the temperature reaches close to 60C or vcore reaches the safe voltage limit which is around 1.425v for Phenom II 545. I saw people who are running the processor at 1.5v. I would not do it with my processor and cooler.
After you settle with the maximum CPU overclock, you can work on overclocking the RAM/NB frequencies.
I try increasing the volts to 1.360 and still no load. I got blue screen at 225, but i just turned down the ram and HT settings and now its fine.
Should i go higher volts to get 230? The temps with 225 never go over 45c and tested it intelburn.
[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Nick/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png[/IMG]